\ 


Tjje  [ji'eat  Religion^  of  Iqdia 


v.\K 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/hinduismbrahmaniOOhand 


REV.  JOHN  HANDLEY,  A.  B. 


HINDUISM, 


Brahmanism  and  Buddhism, 


fpfye  ♦ @reat  ♦ I^eli^ions  • of  - India. 


Hy  REV.  JOHN  HANDLEY,  A.  B, 


Pastor  Central  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Bridoeton,  N.  J. 


CAMDEN,  n.  j. : 

TEMPERANCE  GAZETTE  PRINTING  HOUSE, 

131  FEDERAI.  STREET. 

1S91. 


PREFACE. 


7T  HE  papers  included  in  this  little  volume  were  origin- 


Afly'  ally  prepared  under  the  scholarly  and  inspiring  in- 
struction of  Professor  F.  F.  KUinwood,  U.D.,  in  a course 
taken  in  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York,  in  Com- 
parative Religion. 

Afterward,  by  the  request  of  the  Rev.  J.  B.  Graw,  D.D., 
the  excellent  Editor  of  the  “ Epworth  Advocate,”  o<f  the 
New  Jersey  Conference,  they  were  prepared  for  and  pub- 
lished in  that  paper,  and  very  kindly  commended  by  him. 

The  researches  in  Comparative  Religions  undertaken  by 
the  writer,  have  been  of  incomparable  interest  and  lasting 
good  to  him. . 

It  is  his  only  intent  to  impress  upon  the  reader  the  truth 
that  God  is  mysteriously,  but  surely,  working  out  the 
redemption  of  the  human  race. 

February  2j.}  iSgi . 


T. 


rn 

ieJ\^ 


LtplUi 


Si 


(Ini 


I Cv. 


India  % Sreat  Battlefield  of  I^eli^ions. 

^FPVO  the  casual  observer  and  superficial  reader  in 
ancient  history,  India  is  a land  of  mysticism.  It 
holds  about  the  same  relation  to  the  modern  world 
that  Egypt  held  to  the  Grecians — a land  of  superstition,  of 
weird  spectres ; a land  of  the  blackness  of  darkness  and 
of  the  abomination  of  desolation,  from  whence  can  come 
nothing  but  fear,  terror,  injury,  and  the  lowest  kind  of 
heathenism.  But  to  the  real  Christian  student,  India 
stands  forth  as  the  monument  of  religious  thought  en- 
lightening the  whole  world.  As  the  fog  of  ignorance  is 
dissolved  by  the  light  of  history,  so  through  the  study  of 
comparative  religion  India  is  revealed  as  the  common  and 
greatest  battlefield  of  religions.  From  all  accounts  the 
Indo-Aryan  people,  like  the  primitive  nations  of  pre- 
historic times,  held  to  Monotheism,  or  a belief  in  the  ex- 
istence and  personality  of  but  one  God.  But  through 
wars,  famines  and  divisions,  the  people  were  degraded  into 
Polytheism  and  idolatry;  then  they  wandered  far  away 


10 


in  the  wilderness  of  Pantheism,  losing  all  sight  of  God 
above  them,  the  land  of  promise  before  them,  and  of  the 
golden  age  of  their  ancestors  behind  them.  The  history 
of  the  children  of  Israel  going  from  their  home  land 
into  captivity,  then  out  of  bondage  into  the  wilderness, 
and  then  moving  towards  the  land  of  Canaan,  is  a 
picture  of  the  human  heart  in  its  fall  and  struggle  out 
of  sin,  and  of  the  moral  fall  and  rise  of  nations.  No 
better  proof  of  the  truthfulness  of  this  statement  need 
or  could  be  presented  than  the  struggle  of  these  Indo- 
Aryans  after  God’s  spirituality  and  a correct  system 
of  religious  truth.  This  is  the  reason  why  India  is  the 
arena  of  such  a fearful  religious  and  ecclesiastical  battle. 
All  the  isms  of  the  Orient  have  conflicted  and  combatted 
with  each  other  here  upon  the  fertile  plain  of  the  Ganges. 

We  first  find  Hinduism,  whose  system  of  religion  is  de- 
rived from  a poetical  work — “The  Veda,”  a book  of 
poems  which  is  older  than  the  “Iliad”  of  Homer,  and  from 
which  Arnold  largely  received  his  inspiration  to  write  his 
“ Light  of  Asia.”  The  next  is  Brahmanism,  whose  cold- 
hearted  caste  system  crushed  the  moral  life  out  of  the 
masses.  Then  came  Buddhism,  with  its  dark  belief  of 
Atheism,  and  of  the  final  annihilation  of  the  soul,  and  of 
the  futility  of  prayer.  The  doctrine  of  Zoroaster,  which  is 
a spiritual  idealism,  something  like  the  tenets  held  by  the 
Esscnes,  intermingled  itself  among  these  religions.  Mo- 
hammedanism, with  its  strange  sensualistic  features,  was 


introduced  in  the  early  part  of  the  Christian  Era.  To-day, 
all  of  these  religions  are  contending  with  each  other  for 
the  ascendency,  so  that  India,  as  no  other  country,  has 
had  to  submit  to  heterodoxy,  orthodoxy,  and  the  darkest 
of  heathenism.  Great  interest  is  now  being  manifested  in 
the  hope  that  Christianity,  the  last  to  come  upon  the  field 
of  battle,  will  slowly  but  surely  subjugate  these  inimical 
systems. 


Gai'ty  Hinduism. 

>■4 HE  Persians  not  being  able  to  pronounce  the  word 

I Aryan,  called  the  Aryans  Hindus;  then  the  Greeks 
dropped  the  letter  H and  called  these  Aryans  Indoi  ; 
from  the  latter  we  get  the  term  India. 

Comparatively  speaking,  very  little  was  known  about  the 
Hindus  before  the  year  327  B.  C.,  when  Alexander  invaded 
this  country,  marching  as  far  as  the  Indus  river.  A 
Grecian  by  the  name  of  Magasthenes  collected  the  infor- 
mation, of  which  ancient  and  modern  writers  availed 
themselves. 

India  is  cut  up  into  a great  many  little  provinces  01- 
states,  with  no  unity  between  them  ; this  diisunity  has  cre- 
ated over  five  hundred  and  thirty-nine  different  languages 
and  dialects.  The  missionary  has  to  master  these  various 
tongues  before  he  can  communicate  with  the  inhabitants. 


All  the  information  that  we  have  touching  the  condition, 
character  and  intelligence  of  the  earliest  Hindus  we  derive 
from  their  traditions,  from  philology,  and  from  their  Vedas. 
These  inform  us  that  they  began  life  on  a very  high  plane 
of  civilization,  and  that  a system  somewhat  similar  to  the 
Patriarchal  was  in  vogue,  and  that  they  were  capable  of 
solving  philosophical  problems  (for  which  India  has  always 
been  noted),  and  dealing  with  the  highest  ideas  of  Mono- 
theism. Rut  the  Hindus  soon  lost  their  first  estate  and 
wandered  off  into  weakness  and  awful  ignorance.  It  is 
from  the  Vedas,  which  are  their  Scriptures,  that  we  gain 
an  idea  of  the  character  of  their  religion.  These  Vedas 
are  four  in  number:  the  Yagust,  the  Rig,  the  Saman,  and 
the  Atharvan.  The  term  Veda  means  science  or  law. 
They  are  supposed  to  be  a divine  revelation.  The  Rig  is 
the  oldest,  and  is  made  up  of  hymns ; the  others  are 
liturgical  and  dogmatical.  The  Vedas  arc  not  a spontane- 
ous outgrowth  of  thought,  nor  are  they  an  evolution  of 
thought,  for  they  were  composed  at  distant  and  isolated 
periods  of  time,  in  different  ways  and  by  different  men. 
As  they  reflect  the  ideal  domestic,  civil  and  religious  life 
of  the  primitive  life  of  the  Hindus  before  the  Caste  system 
was  introduced,  it  looks  as  if  they  were  a revision  of  very 
early  beliefs,  modified  by  many  an  interpolation.  It  is 
difficult  to  state  the  creed  of  the  Vedas,  as  features  and 
characteristics  are  to  be  found  in  them  of  all  Oriental 


«3 


beliefs.  These  books  have  had  a powerful  influence  over 
the  people  of  India. 

The  Vedas  say:  “There  is  in  truth  but  one  deity  and 
one  supreme  spirit,  the  Lord  of  the  Universe,  whose  work 
is  the  universe;  the  God  above  all  gods,  who  created  the 
heavens,  the  earth  and  the  waters.”  But  soon  after  we  see 
that  this  pure  doctrine  is  enveloped  in  the  mystic  shroud  of 
Pantheism,  Absorbtion  and  Fatalism. 

There  arc  five  kinds  of  sacrifices  referred  to  in  Hindu- 
ism : the  offering  of  the  plant,  of  clarified  butter,  of  fire,  of 
animals,  and  the  offering  of  human  beings.  The  juices  of 
the  soma  plant  were  the  promises  of  renewed  life  and  the 
quickening  of  immortal  life,  for  as  by  the  death  of  the 
plant  the  fires  of  the  universe  that  had  gathered  in  it  were 
set  free  to  wing  their  flight  through  a resurrected  life,  so 
would  man,  by  death,  be  liberated  and  elevated.  The 
offering  of  clarified  butter  was  as  the  first  fruit  offering, 
originating  in  their  simple  consciousness  of  dependence  on 
a Supreme  Being.  They  offered  fire  as  the  purest  element 
of  the  life  of  man  and  the  light  of  nature.  The  fire  sym- 
bolized the  ascendant  character  and  struggle  of  man's  aspi- 
rations. Thousands  of  animals  were  sacrificed  daily.  We 
are  hardiy  able  to  account  for  the  origin  and  cause  of 
human  sacrifice;  possibly  it  originated  in  the  Veda,  which 
stated  that  the  Creator  (Varuna)  offered  as  a sacrifice  for 
humanity  his  first-born  son.  Who'  knows  but  that  the 
“ light  that  lighteth  every  man  that  cometh  into  the  world” 


H 


impressed  upon  the  Hindu  mind  the  doctrine  of  the  Lamb 
slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world  ? 

It  is  strange  to  find  that  these  Hindus  who  had  no 
special  revelation,  had  the  idea  of  expiatory  sacrifice ; has 
this  doctrine  by  the  fall  been  inwrought  into  the  soul  of 
man’s  being?  Their  offerings  were  made  to  appease  the 
anger  of  the  gods  and  to  gain  their  favor.  The  one  who 
offered  became  identified  with  his  sacrifice,  as  if  he  himself 
was  being  offered  up,  and  his  immortal  part,  which  fire 
could  only  purify  and  not  consume,  ascended  with  the 
flame  to  the  regions  above,  to  enjoy  companionship  with 
the  gods.  The  Hindu  thought  that  the  majority  of  the 
gods  secured  their  immortality  through  sacrifice  and 
suffering. 

From  what  we  learn  of  sacrifice,  in  India,  in  contempora 
neous  nations  and  in  modern  history,  we  notice  that  this 
_ idea  is  inherent  in  man,  originating  in  a sense  of  worship, 
weakness,  dependence,  and  also  of  guilt  that  must  be 
atoned  for.  The  human  victim  considered  it  an  honor  to 
be  sacrificed  ; lie  looked  upon  it  as  a golden  opportunity  to 
consecrate  himself  to  his  supreme  thought,  that  he  might 
attain  to  the  character  of  his  ideal.  It  afforded  the  means 
of  reaching  immediately  the  departed  blessed,  of  securing 
a noble  destiny  in  the  celestial  world.  Only  the  choicest 
and  best  were  allowed  to  be  sacrificed.  Truly  we  must 
admire  the  purpose  of  these  Hindus,  while  we  deprecate 
the  method  used  to  gain  heaven. 


i5 


May  the  day  be  not  far  distant  when  these  so-called 
heathens,  who  have  some  idea  of  the  doctrines  of  the  fall 
of  man,  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  the  reality  of 
heaven,  and  the  need  of  a divine  sacrifice  to  atone  for  sin, 
shall  accept  the  Christ  who,  having  been  lifted  up  upon 
the  cross,  is  drawing  all  men  unto  Him. 


(^aste  System. 

MO  subject  has  been  brought  more  prominently  before 
the  church  than  the  Caste  System  of  India,  which 
T system  has  been  considered  by  very  many  mission- 
aries, the  greatest  obstacle  to  the  progress  of  Christianity 
among  the  Hindus. 

Christian  scholars  are  trying  to  discover  the  nature  of 
the  Caste  System,  that  it  may  be  overcome.  The  follow- 
ing facts  and  features  relating  to  this  subject  are  of  vital 
interest  to  those  who  are  anxious  to  see  the  church  suc- 
ceed. 

We  cannot  find  any  trace  of  cast  in  the  earliest  Veda ; 
from  this  the  conclusion  is  reached  that  before  the  Aryans 
migrated  from  Central  Asia  into  India,  the  system  did  not 
exist. 

It  appears  that  at  one  time  India  was  without  inhabit- 
ants; its  first  inhabitants  came  down  from  the  high  plains 


i6 


of  Asia;  the  enervating  climate  of  India  and  its  peculiar 
environment  weakened  the  Aryans,  morally  and  mentally, 
and  darkened  their  fair  complexion  (the  term  Aryan  means 
fairest,  noblest),  and  the  long  lapse  of  ages  continued  this 
process  of  deterioration,  so  that  those  who  were  in  India 
the  longest,  were  the  most  degraded  ; hence  a distinction 
and  a discrimination  would  be  developed  between  the 
earlier  and  the  later  comers ; and  as  the  word  caste  meant 
color,  this  difference  of  gradation  may  have  been  the 
origin  of  the  Caste  System. 

Tradition  makes  it  quite  evident  that  the  white  Aryan 
invaders  of  India  were  deeply  prejudiced  against  these 
swarthy  aborigines,  and  treated  them  with  the  utmost 
contempt.  But  there  came  a time  when  migration  ceased, 
and  the  longer  the  invaders  remained  in  India  the  more 
they  became  like  the  people  who  had  preceded  them  and 
- whom  they  had  conquered. 

Some  sort  of  government  had  to  be  worked  out,  while 
society  was  most  naturally  forming  itself  into  different 
classes  according  to  the  peculiarities,  affinities  and  tenden- 
cies of  each  and  all ; and  as  this  principle  of  classification, 
contraction  and  separation  continued,  a spirit  of  disinclina- 
tion of  one  class  to  associate  with  the  other  classes  would 
be  developed;  therefore,  it  was  only  a question  of  time 
when  the  principle  of  separatism  would  cause  an  impassa- 
ble gulf  to  exist  between  the  different  classes  which  ulti- 
mately produced  the  Caste  System. 


*7 

Others  think  that  the  natural  division  of  the  Hindus 
into  farmers,  servants,  priests  and  soldiers,  originated  this 
system.  All  Oriental  governments  favored  castes,  because 
the  democratic  ideas  of  civil  and  religious  liberty  and  of 
the  equality  of  men  were  absolutely  foreign  to  all  their 
national  polity.  Greece  was  the  pioneer  nation  in  giving 
expression  to  this  great  thought,  which  has  revolutionized 
European  governments. 

I think  the  abominable  hierarchical  system  of  Brahman- 
ism brought  it  to  its  present  state  of  awful  perfection. 

It  would  not  be  fair  to  impress  you  with  the  idea  that 
everything  said  about  the  Caste  System  is  said  in  condem- 
nation of  it,  as  the  following  will  show  that  it  has  its 
friends : 

Robertson,  Dubois  and  Dr.  Colebrook  declare  that  it 
was  possible  to  go  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest  caste,  or 
from  that  to  the  lowest;  the  system  was  like  that  of  the 
British  army,  which  was  formed  by  drawing  from  all  other 
classes.  Heeren  and  Klaproth  contend  that  it  is  founded 
on  the  original  diversity  of  the  human  race.  Others  go  so 
far  as  to  say  that  the  arts  and  industries  were  aided  by  this 
system. 

Without  a dissenting  voice  our  Christian  missionaries 
declare  that  it  has  created  an  impassable  gulf  between  the 
higher  and  lower  classes ; that  the  system  has  put  a heavy 
yoke  upon  the  ignorant,  the  weak  and  upon  the  less  fair, 
and  that  all  opportunity  for  self-improvement,  and  for  lui- 


jS 


mane  and  general  progress  has  been  removed.  They  also> 
assert  that  until  this  nefarious  system  is  removed  there  is 
but  little  hope  for  the  emancipation  and  conversion  of  the 
people. 

If  our  missionaries  open  schools  for  the  lowest  caste  and 
the  outcast,  then  the  higher  castes  will  not  come  near  them ; 
if  they  should  open  for  the  higher  caste,  and  one  of  the 
low  caste  children  should  enter  the  school  and  the  Chris- 
tian teacher  should  invite  him  to  remain  as  a scholar,  all  of 
the  others  would  leave  immediately.  There  are,  I am 
glad  to  say,  some  exceptions  to  this  rule.  While  the 
Methodist  church  is  doing  much  to  reach  and  save  the 
higher  castes,  as  is  seen  in  the  conversion  of  men  like  Ram 
Chandra  Bose,  still  true  to  her  noble  mission  and  great 
destiny,  she  is  doing  much  to  save  the  lowest  castes  and 
the  outcasts.  Like  the  Saviour  she  is  seeking  the  wander- 
ing and  the  lost  sheep.  Christ’s  method  of  building  up 
the  kingdom  of  God  on  earth  is  from  the  bottom  up  to  the 
top,  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest,  from  the  least  to  the 
greatest,  from  the  poorest  to  the  richest;  any  other  method 
than  this  will  fail  to  accomplish  the  will  of  God  on  earth. 

The  time  will  come  when  the  light  of  the  Occident  will 
chase  away  the  gloom  and  the  darkness  of  the  Orient. 
The  day  is  not  far  distant  when  the  Wise  Men  of  the  Wes 
will  return  the  generosity  of  the  Wise  Men  of  the  East  by- 
taking  their  gold,  frankincense  and  myrrh  to  brighten, 
cheer  and  save  these  Hindu  caste-cursed  people. 


>9 


Bt'afymanism. 

Ik  RAH  MAN  ISM  grew  out  of  early  Hinduism,  just  as 
Roman  Catholicism  grew  out  of  early  Christianity. 
Dr.  F.  F.  Ellinwood  states  that  “ from  the  <Sth  cen- 
tury till  about  500  B.  C.,  a strict  and  oppressive  sacerdotal- 
ism was  enforced  by  the  Brahmans  aided  by  the  power  of 
caste,  which  might  be  termed  Brahmanism.”  This  is  one 
of  the  very  few  systems  of  religion  that  did  not  originate 
in  the  mind  of  any  particular  man;  therefore  it  is  unlike 
in  this  respect  Confucianism,  Zoroasterism,  Buddhism, 
Mohammedanism,  and  Christianity,  each  of  which  came 
through  the  teachings  of  one  man  from  whom  each  re- 
ceived its  name. 

THE  MATERIAL  THAT  MADE  BRAHMANISM. 

India  was  inhabited  by  these  thinkers  at  least  1500  years 
before  this  religion  was  named.  It  is  supposed  that  the 
immediate  ancestors  of  the  Grecians  and  the  Romans  left 
Asia  about  the  same  time  that  these,  their  brothers, 
migrated  into  India;  and  we  cannot  think  that  one  part  of 
this  family  went  to  the  southwest  to  Europe,  and  the  other 
to  the  southeast  to  India  by  mere  chance,  any  more  than 
we  believe  that  the  Israelites  journeyed  into  Egypt  without 


20 


the  guidance  of  Providence.  Abraham's  ancestors  were 
Indo- Aryans  or  Hindus.  The  Aryans  who  migrated  to 
Europe  were  fighters,  those  who  went  to  India  were  men 
of  peace  and  men  of  deep  thought.  While  ancient  Europe 
is  a continuous  history  of  war  and  destruction,  ancient 
India  spends  its  time  in  quietly  developing  thought,  schools 
of  philosophy  and  systems  of  religion,  and  it  will  be  dis- 
covered in  the  years  to  come  that  Pythagoras,  the  first 
Grecian  philosopher,  derived  his  ideas  from  Egypt,  and 
that  the  Egyptians  and  Ishmaelites  received  their  knowl- 
edge, as  they  did  Joseph,  from  Asia.  While  the  Grecians 
and  Romans  were  putting  their  religious  ideas  into  the 
concrete  form  of  temple  and  dome,  the  early  Hindus  were 
becoming  more  subtle  and  abstract.  “The  conflict  of  the 
good  and  evil  principles  in  nature  rather  than  in  history, 
is  the  prominent  feature  in  the  religion  of  the  Aryans  in 
India.” 

It  was  this  tendency  towards  metaphysical  speculation 
that  led  them  into  an  infinitude  of  cloudy  vagueness, 
rather  than  into  the  infinite  God.  lvverything  that  could 
be  wTOught  out  by  thought  was  produced  by  them.  All 
the  human  religious  systems  of  the  world  find  their  origin 
among  the  Himalayas.  They  worshiped  the  sun,  and  all 
their  wealth  of  poetic  imagery  is  employed  to  show  forth 
his  resplendent  glory.  Then  followed  their  sidereal  deities, 
and,  Job- like,  they  pictured  the  beauties  of  Orion  and 
Pleiades.  They  deified  the  calm,  the  storm,  the  day,  the 


21 


night;  then  all  the  elements  of  nature  became  deities,  till 
they  blended  into  each  other,  and  the  universe  became 
God,  and  God  the  universe.  This  is  Pantheism. 

After  awhile  they  grew  weary  of  such  utter  confusion 
and  selected  the  most  prominent  features  in  nature,  as  the 
highest  mountain,  the  largest  forest ; these  they  also 
deified,  and  thus  was  Polytheism  developed. 

Unlike  the  Mohammedans  and  Romans,  no  sensuality 
existed  between  their  gods  and  goddesses. 

“To  the  Aryans  of  India,  nature  is  a chaste  goddess, 
with  star-crowned  brow,  of  grave  majesty  and  radiant 
smile,  full  of  grace  and  grandeur  in  her  changing  mani- 
festations. One  feels  the  spell  she  weaves  around  him  in 
the  high  and  shining  heavens,  in  the  rapid  rivers,  in  the 
vast  plains  and  forest  sanctuaries.” 

At  first  they  had  no  priests  or  temples ; the  head  of  each 
family  and  tribe  led  in  the  worship  and  sacrifice.  The 
priesthood  had  its  origin  in  a number  of  men  who,  like  the 
men  of  Homer's  day,  went  up  and  down  the  country  sing- 
ing the  religious  doctrines  and  rites  of  the  people.  It  is 
very  easy  to  see  how  these  singers  became  the  priests. 
Men  who  had  a talent  for  singing,  and  at  the  same  time 
good  verbal  memory,  would  naturally  learn  the  hymns  of 
the  Rig  Veda,  and  as  it  was  a popular  profession,  it  be- 
came lucrative.  After  a time,  as  the  other  classes  were 
more  interested  in  business,  politics  and  philosophy,  these 
singers  would  be  more  and  more  depended  upon,  and 


22 


finally  they  took  possession  of  all  the  religious  rites,  thus 
developing  their  accursed  hierarchical  system.  In  order 
that  their  profession  might  be  more  secure  to  them,  they 
made  everything  appertaining  to  religion  ambiguous,  that 
the  rank  and  file  of  the  people  would  become  dependent 
upon  them  for  religious  information  and  interpretation. 
They  introduced  dark  legends,  mysterious  myths,  strange 
traditions,  and  equivocal  aphorisms.  They  wrote  com- 
mentaries, built  schools,  and  employed  vain  philosophies 
to  bewilder  and  delude  the  people.  We  cannot  help  per- 
ceiving how  this  complicated  and  oppressive  ecclesiastical 
system  resembles  Roman  Catholicism. 

Max  Muller  gives  the  following  metrical  translation  of 
their  account  of  creation: 


Nor  Aught  nor  Naught  existed  ; yon  bright  sky  was  not, 
Nor  heaven’s  broad  roof  outstretched  above. 

What  covered  all?  what  sheltered?  what  concealed? 

Was  it  the  water’s  fathomless  abyss? 

There  was  no  death — yet  there  was  naught  immortal ; 
There  was  no  confine  betwixt  day  and  night ; 

The  Only  One  breathed  breathless  by  itself; 

Other  than  It  there  nothing  since  has  been. 

Darkness  there  was,  and  all  at  first  was  veiled 
In  gloom  profound — an  ocean  without  light — 

The  germ  that  still  lay  covered  in  the  husk 
Burst  forth,  one  nature,  from  the  fervent  heat. 

Then  first  came  love  upon  it,  the  new  spring 
Of  mind— yet  poets  in  their  heart  discerned, 

Pondering,  this  bond  between  created  things 
And  uncreated.  Comes  this  spark  from  earth 
Piercing  and  all-pervading,  or  from  heaven? 


Then  seeds  were  sown  and  mighty  powers  arose, 

Nature  below,  and  power  and  will  above ; 

Who  knows  the  secret?  who  proclaimed  it  here? 

Whence,  whence  this  manifold  creation  sprang? 

The  gods  themselves  came  later  into  being — 

Who  knows  from  whence  this  great  creation  sprang? 

He  from  whom  all  this  great  creation  came, 

Whether  his  will  created  or  was  mute, 

The  most  High  Seer  that  is  in  highest  heaven, 

He  knows  it — or  perchance  even  he  knows  not. 

The  priestly  families  to  attract  attention  dressed  their 
hair  in  a peculiar  way;  to  gain  influence  they  associated 
with  the  princes  and  rulers.  When  these  Brahmans  se- 
cured the  desired  power  they  worked  out  the  distribution 
of  castes.  Then  they  destroyed  the  religion  of  their  ances- 
tors, and  reduced  the  early  gods  of  action  to  demons.  In 
this,  nature  aided  them.  As  the  change  of  climate  affected 
the  Indo-Aryans,  “ their  minds  became  dull  and  torpid 
under  the  burning  sky,  all  militant  thought  disappeared,” 
the  war  gods  were  forgotten,  and  the  god  of  prayer,  be- 
cause he  demanded  no  struggle  or  special  exertion,  became 
their  favorite  god,  whom  they  called  Brahma.  Because  of 
this  deterioration  the  Vedic  tongue  became  a dead  lan- 
guage, the  muse  of  poetry  vanished,  the  brilliancy  of 
thought  and  the  purity  of  diction  were  unknown.  Then 
followed  the  dark  age  of  India. 

The  priests  taught  and  the  people  believed  that  their 
i-eligious  ceremonies,  rites  and  sacrifices,  controlled  the 
rising  and  setting  of  the  sun,  the  prevailing  of  the  winds, 


24 


seed  time  and  harvest,  life  and  death.  To  slight  or  neglect 
this  worship  would  bring  on  disaster,  sickness,  pestilence, 
war  and  a horrible  death.  In  this  way  were  the  minds  and 
hearts  and  bodies  of  the  people  enslaved. 

The  Brahmans  divided  the  literature  into  two  parts,  viz: 
the  S’ruti,  or  revealed  ; the  Smriti,  or  unrevealed.  Both 
were  intermingled  and  sub-divided  into  the  Mantra,  the 
Brahmana,  and  the  Upanishad.  To  these,  the  laws  of 
Manu  have  been  appended.  They  burdened  the  mind  with 
the  following  rules  : The  Kalpaor,  the  rules  of  the  Mantra, 
and  the  Brahmana,  the  Siksha,  or  the  rules  of  pronuncia- 
tion, the  C’handas,  or  the  science  of  metre,  the  Nirukta,  or 
the  exposition  of  the  Veda,  the  Vyakarana,  or  the  rules  of 
grammar.  Scores,  if  not  hundreds,  of  other  formula: 
could  be  mentioned.  The  Mantra  related  to  the  Vedic 
metre  and  hymnology.  The  Brahmanas  were  books  show- 
' ing  the  origin,  cause,  manner,  method  and  object  of  sacri- 
fices. Thousands  of  animals  were  sacrificed  daily;  the 
people  were  weary  and  sick  of  this  ceremony  ; the  day 
of  re-action  was  not  far  distant.  Buddha  was  coming  to 
deliver  them. 

The  Brahmanas  encouraged  the  growth  of  a supersti- 
tious belief  in  the  efficacy  of  sacrifices,  and  fostered 
increasing  dependence  upon  the  mediatorial  castes  of 
priests,  supposed  to  be  the  constituted  medium  of  com- 
munication between  men  and  gods.  But  the  Kshatrias,  or 
soldier  class,  did  not  altogether  submit  to  priestly  tyranny. 


Momentous  questions  were  agitating  the  mind.  No  rest, 
no  satisfaction,  and  no  solution  could  be  found  in  mere 
external  rites;  each  thinker  by  the  aid  of  reason  was  try- 
ing to  solve  the  great  problems  of  life.  This  led  to  the 
composing  of  the  Upanishads.  This  work  means  the 
hidden,  or  what  is  read  between  the  lines.  It  divides  re- 
ligion into  two  parts,  that  of  works,  and  that  of  knowl- 
edge. The  ignorant  are  saved  by  prayers,  sacrifices,  and 
austerities.  The  few  are  saved  because  of  their  intelli- 
gence they  have  discovered  the  secrets  of  the  gods,  of 
nature,  and  of  man.  The  Upanishads  are  of  them  and 
for  them.  The  books  deal  with  the  origin  of  the  uni- 
verse, the  nature  of  the  deity,  the  nature  of  the  human 
soul,  and  the  reciprocal  connection  of  spirit  and  matter. 

The  Upanishads  stated  that  the  soul  considered  retro- 
spectively and  prospectively  is  eternal.  Matter  out  of 
which  the  universe  was  evolved  is  eternal.  The  soul  must 
be  united  to  a body  in  order  to  exercise  consciousness, 
sensation,  cognition  and  action.  The  union  of  soul  and 
body  is  productive  of  bondage  and  misery.  To  meet  the 
consequences  and  maturity  of  acts  the  soul  will  be  re- 
moved to  a place  of  reward  and  punishment,  which  is  not 
full,  effectual  or  final.  The  transmigration  of  the  soul 
caused  the  existence  of  evil. 

While  this  free  thought  antagonized  Brahmanism,  still 
the  priests  being  anxious  to  retain  the  patronage  of  the 
Kshatrias  made  this  philosophy  part  of  their  religion. 


26 


Brahmanism  thus  contained  two  opposing  forces,  the  one 
trammeling,  the  other  emancipating  the  mind.  Later  on 
it  fused  Buddhism  into  itself,  although  this  new  religion 
was  a protest  against  every  rite  and  ceremony.  Such  is 
the  mongrel  character  of  Brahmanism  as  it  now  exists. 

The  laws  of  Manu  relate  to  the  usages  of  the  home,  of 
the  relation  of  one  caste  to  another,  and  to  social  customs. 
They  teach  that  women  have  no  rights,  she  is  man’s  slave. 
Manu  says  there  is  as  much  difference  between  the  four 
castes  as  exists  between  the  lion,  bear,  tiger  and  the  ele- 
phant. The  first  three  castes  were  twice  born.  Iheir 
second  birth  takes  place  between  the  eighth  and  twelfth 
year.  A religious  ceremony  is  performed;  they  are  then 
invested  with  the  sacred  cord,  which  is  a coil  of  threads 
worn  over  the  left  shoulder,  hanging  down  diagonally 
across  the  body  to  the  right  hip.  The  sacred  cord  of  the 
'Brahman  is  cotton;  of  the  Kshatrias,  hemp;  of  the 
Vaisyas,  wool,  and  the  Sudas  have  none,  to  show  that  they 
are  accursed. 

When  death  takes  place  the  body  is  burned,  and  it  is 
thought  that  the  soul  goes  into  a material  form  no  larger 
than  the  thumb  and  hovers  around  the  funeral  pyre.  If 
the  body  is  not  cremated  the  soul  becomes  a wandering 
ghost  or  ghoul.  Rosaries  containing  scores  of  beads  arc 
used  in  prayer.  Manu  forbids  the  eating  of  flesh  and  fish 
and  the  drinking  of  spirituous  liquors,  except  on  solemn 


occasions. 


27 


History  repeats  itself:  “ What  we  t lie  spirit  of  the  ages 
call,  is  nothing  but  the  spirit  of  us  all.”  Wherein  the  ages 
are  reflected,  India  has  had  its  Huss,  its  Wickliff  and  its 
Luther.  Buddha  was  India’s  great  reformer. 


Buddha  and  Buddhism. 

f I 'V  HE  term  Buddhism  is  from  the  word  Buddha,  which 

f-l  means  the  wise,  the  enlightened,  originating  in  the 

A 

intelligence  and  wisdom  of  the  founder  of  this  sys- 
tem of  religion.  There  are  over  fifty  ways  of  spelling  this 
name.  Among  the  more  common  are  Bud,  Bod,  Budh, 
Boodh,  Budo,  Buddow,  Boutta,  Poota,  Poth,  Pot,  etc.  The 
Chinese  sound  it  like  Fo,  Foe,  Foki.  This  indicates 
the  cause  of  the  various  modes  of  different  translators  and 
commentators  in  spelling  the  name.  Not  until  the  middle 
of  this  century  was  much  known  about  Buddhism. 

Great  credit  is  due  to  Mr.  B.  H.  Hodgson  the  British 
resident  to  Nepaul,  one  of  the  strongholds  of  Buddhism. 
He  it  was  who  discovered  the  canonical  books  written  in 
Sanskrit.  Since  then  it  has  been  revealed  that  the  Bud- 
dhist scriptures  of  Thibet,  Mongolia  and  China  are  transla- 
tions from  those  apparent  original  Sanskrit  writings  ; also 
the  books  or  scriptures  of  the  Buddhists  of  Ceylon  which 
are  written  in  the  Pali  language  agree  in  substance  with 


28 


those  Nepaulese  standards.  Translations  from  these  books 
in  the  Pali  language  are  used  in  Siam  and  Burmah. 

Mr.  B.  H.  Hodgson  sent  copies  of  the  Nepaulese  stan- 
dards to  the  Asiatic  Societies  of  London  and  Paris,  and 
in  1884  the  Oriental  scholar,  Eugene  Burnouf,  translated, 
published  and  gave  them  to  the  western  world.  We  learn 
through  this  channel  and  others  that  Buddhism,  like  other 
Oriental  religions,  has  had  its  day  of  myth,  mystery  and 
legend,  with  many  a miracle  to  prove  its  supernatural 
origin.  In  fact  these  influences  were  at  one  time  so  potent 
as  to  lead  so  great  a scholar  as  Prof.  Wilson,  of  Oxford, 
to  read  a paper  before  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society  of  Lon- 
don, in  which  he  maintained  that  the  supposed  life  of 
Buddha  was  a myth,  and  Buddha  himself  merely  an 
imaginary  being;  but  research  and  scholarship  have 
placed  Buddha  on  a historic  and  authentic  foundation. 

Buddhism  originated  in  the  northern  part  of  Hindustan 
in  the  beginning  of  the  Sixth  century,  B.  C.  It  has  now 
at  least  four  hundred  million  adherents,  and  judging  by 
this  following,  it  is  the  greatest  religion  of  the  world. 

This  system  arose  out  of  the  ethical  and  philosophical 
teachings  of  Siddhartha  Gautama,  who  was  raja  in  Kapi- 
lavastu  and  chief  of  the  tribe  of  the  Sakyas,  seated  on  the 
banks  of  the  Kohana,  about  one  hundred  miles  north  of 
the  city  of  Benares,  and  about  fifty  miles  south  of  the  foot 
of  the  Himalaya  mountains.  Gautama  was  of  the  Kshat- 
riya  class.  It  was  noticed  that  in  his  childhood  he  was  very 


-9 


unlike  this  soldier  class.  He  possessed  a gentle  nature, 
sensitive,  if  not  morbid  in  spirit.  Still  nothing  out  of  the 
ordinary  was  observed  in  this  formative  period  of  his  life. 
His  father,  Suddhodana,  fearing  lest  he  might  forsake  the 
Kshatriya,  through  his  morbid  tendencies,  encouraged  his 
marriage  to  a princess  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  that 
his  mind  might  be  withdrawn  from  himself,  through  the 
possibilities  of  home,  social  and  civil  life.  Thirteen  years 
after  his  marriage  a son  was  born  to  brighten  his  domestic 
and  heart  life.  But  all  the  influences  that  could  be  brought 
to  bear  upon  him  could  not  divert  his  mind,  or  change 
the  trend  of  his  thought  and  life.  His  light  could  not 
be  hid  under  a bushel.  Fate,  destiny  and  providence  had 
carved  out  a road  in  which  he  was  to  travel,  and,  as  all 
roads  once  led  to  the  Roman  city,  so  all  influences  seemed 
to  lead  him  back  to  his  life  work. 

As  Dr.  Ellinwood  has  truly  said,  “ Though  cribbed, 
cabined  and  confined,"  he  saw  enough  of  the  world  life — 
saw  enough  of  suffering  to  sadden  him,  and  he  left  the 
harem  never  to  return.  While  it  is  true  that  there  are 
many  things  said  in  the  way  of  legend  touching  the  causes 
which  constrained  Gautama  to  lead  a new  life,  wholly 
unlike  and  antagonistic  to  the  epicurean  life  which  he  so 
greatly  relished  as  prince,  which  should  be  rejected  as 
untrustworthy;  still  we  are  to  remember  that  there  were 
real  causes,  and  that  there  is  history  in  the  midst  of  all 
this  mystery,  which  it  is  the  duty  of  the  student  to  trace, 


30 


discover  and  expose,  until  its  bare  outline  appears  at  least 
as  evident  as  the  pyramids  on  a clear  day.  Admitting  that 
Gautama  is  an  historic  character,  three  things  must  have 
been  present  to  him. 

First,  Gautama  possessed  a peculiarly  sensitive,  superior, 
sympathetic,  ennobled  and  inspiring  nature,  as  high  above 
that  of  the  ordinary  Aryanas,  the  Himalay  as  were  above 
the  valley  of  the  Ganges;  and  this  lofty  character,  of 
necessity,  made  him,  in  the  estimation  of  his  inferiors, 
solitary  and  attractive. 

In  the  second  place  there  must  have  been  something  in 
the  outside  world  to  affect  and  draw  out  the  inner  man, 
the  inner  world;  that  is,  there  must  have  been  objective 
reality  as  well  as  subjective  impressions.  Something  like 
the  following  must  have  transpired:  It  is  related  that  in 
his  twenty-ninth  year,  while  driving  to  his  pleasure 
grounds  one  day,  lie  was  struck  by  the  sight  of  a man 
utterly  broken  down  by  age ; on  another  occasion  by 
seeing  a man  suffering  from  a loathsome  disease,  and  some 
months  later  by  the  horrible  appearance  of  a decompos- 
ing corpse.  Each  time  his  charioteer,  whose  name  was 
Chauna,  told  him  such  was  the  fate  of  all  liv  ing  beings. 
Soon  after  he  saw  an  ascetic  walking  in  a calm  and  digni- 
fied manner.  Asking  who  that  was  he  was  again  told  by 
his  charioteer  the  character  and  aims  of  ascetics.  His 
mind  and  heart  were  deeply  stirred  by  these  sights  with- 
out, and  the  vision  they  wrought  up  within.  Gautama 


3* 


doubtless  saw  that  life  was  filled  with  vanity  anc! 
vexation. 

In  the  third  place,  the  clash  of  these  two  worlds  always 
leads  to  solitude  and  meditation,  out  of  which  men  rise  to 
be  leaders  and  reformers,  or  sink  into  the  dead  levels  of 
humanity,  accepting  all  things  as  coming  from  the  hand  of 
fate  to  be  acquiesced  in,  but  not  surmounted.  The  mind 
of  this  young  Rajput  took  the  higher  course,  and  let  us 
now  follow  him  in  his  vicissitudes  and  struggles  until  he 
emancipates  himself  by  herculean  effort  and  Jacob-like 
wrestling. 

On  the  banks  of  the  Anoma,  not  far  from  the  Koliyan 
provinces,  he  disrobed  himself  of  the  habiliments  of  his 
princely  position,  even  to  the  cutting  of  his  long,  (lowing 
hair,  and  spends  seven  days  in  grave  communion  with 
himself  and  nature.  Then  he  visited  Bimbisara,  ruler  of 
Magadha,  who,  pleased  with  Gautama’s  appearance  and 
aims,  invited  him  to  become  a teacher,  but  he  hesitates, 
because  of  his  unfitness.  He  afterward  became  the  pupil 
of  a Brahman  philosopher  by  the  name  of  Alara.  Then 
he  joined  himself  to  the  wise  Udraka.  From  these  and 
other  teachers  he  learned  all  that  could  be  taught  him  of 
the  higher  doctrines  and  ethics  of  the  Hindu  philosophy. 

He,  with  his  disciples  and  associates,  retired  to  the 
jungle  of  Uruvela,  on  the  northern  spur  of  the  Vindhya 
range  of  mountains,  where  for  six  long  years  he  gave 
himself  over  to  a life  of  the  severest  kind  of  austerity 


32 


till  his  fame  as  an  ascetic  of  the  ascetics  spread  far  and 
wide;  as  stated  in  the  Burmese  chronicle,  “ his  name  was 
like  the  sound  of  a bell  hung  in  the  canopy  of  the  skies.’, 
Through  great  physical  weakness,  caused  by  his  self- 
torture  and  fasting,  he  fainted  and  fell  to  the  ground,  and 
by  many  was  considered  dead.  This  weak  physical  condi- 
tion was  a true  indicator  and  exhibition  of  the  inner  state 
of  his  mind  and  spirit.  As  Tasting  had  robbed  him  of 
his  strength,  so  had  this  life  of  a recluse  not  only  failed  to 
furnish  him  with  what  he  sought,  but  had  deprived  him 
of  his  faith,  hope  and  aspiration.  The  aching  void  was 
within  still,  and  life  seemed  an  utter  failure.  He  was 
further  away  from  the  end  of  his  journey  than  when  he 
commenced  it.  This  state  of  unconsciousness  seems  to 
have  transformed  him  into  a new  being,  for  from  this 
moment  his  mode  of  life  changed  and  he  pursued  a course 
■diametrically  opposite  to  that  which  had  been  pursued  by 
him  and  others  up  to  this  time.  He  gave  up  his  life  of 
austerity  and  reversed  his  ideas  of  living  to  such  an  extent 
that  his  disciples  considered  him  untrue  to  the  doctrines 
of  Brahmanism ; capricious  and  exacting,  they  forsook 
him  as  unworthy  of  their  company  and  counsel. 

At  this  juncture  came  the  great  crisis  of  his  life.  As  a 
great  writer  on  Buddhism  has  well  said:  “There  now 
ensued  in  Gautama’s  mind  a second  struggle,  described  in 
both  southern  and  northern  accounts  with  all  the  wealth 
of  poetry  and  imagination  of  which  the  Indian  |mind  is 


master.”  While  this  account  is  too  luxuriantly  colored, 
still  between  the  lines  we  see  the  real  struggles  of  the  man. 

The  simple  history  of  that  event  is  somewhat  like  the 
following:  When  he  came  to  himself,  consciousness  having- 
returned,  feeling  ahungered,  he  sought  the  banks  of  the 
Nairanjara,  and  as  a mendicant  begged  his  meal  of  Sujata, 
who  lived  in  one  of  the  villages  near  by.  Leaving  the. 
maiden  he  found  shelter  beneath  the  umbiage  of  a large 
tree:  which  became  noted  in  history  as  the  sacred  Bo-tree, 
or  tree  of  wisdom.  As  a tree  of  the  forest  is  exposed  to 
the  severe  inclemency  of  the  weather  and  climate  when  all 
other  trees  have  been  felled,  so  felt  Gautama  as  he  rested 
beneath  this  Bo-tree.  In  this  moment  of  dire  need,  when 
the  solace  and  consolation  of  friendship  were  so  much 
to  be  desired,  he  was  absolutely  friendless  and  forsaken 
For  some  unaccountable  reason  all  had  gone  wrong,  and 
yet  he  realized  that  he  had  lived  up  to  the  best  light 
within  and  without  him.  To  make  sure  that  he  had  put 
forth  his  highest  effort,  he  retraced,  step  by  step,  his  past 
life  of  self-sacrifice  and  self-denial,  and  as  the  happy  life 
of  youth,  of  princely  power  and  domestic  felicity,  in  pano- 
ramic beauty  passed  before  him,  contrasting  themselves 
with  his  present  solitary  and  sad  state,  his  strong  imagina- 
tion played  upon  them  until  they  became  intensely  real. 
He  was  living  over  again  his  former  happy  life.  It  seems 
that  these  felicitous  scenes  had  for  the  time  elicited  all  his 
thoughts  and  affections,  and  the  temptation  was  great  to 


34 


give  up  his  search  for  wisdom,  purity  and  rest  and  go  back 
and  enjoy  life  ; but  finally  his  higher  moral  nature  con- 
quered, and  as  calm  followed  the  storm,  and  light  succeeds 
the  night,  so  peace  followed  this  internal  tempest,  and  light 
and  enlightenment  overcame  the  doubts  and  ignorance  of 
his  being.  He  entered  into  the  temptation  a forsaken  man 
and  a bewildered  Gautama,  he  emerged  from  the  struggle 
enjoying  Nirvana  as  the  wise  Buddha. 

This  made  Buddha  one  of  the  greatest  religious  leaders 
the  world  has  ever  known.  Great  interest  and  ingenuity 
have  been  manifested  by  many  scholars  and  philosophers 
in  attempting  to  discover  the  different  steps  or  stages  by 
which  he  ascended  out  of  his  lower  self  to  the  pinnacle 
of  an  almost  perfect  deified  human  being.  We  will  briefly 
consider  them.  T.  W.  Rhys  Davis  states  Gautama’s  dis- 
covery and  formula  as  follows  : 

‘‘  Everything  coporeal  is  material,  and  therefore  imper- 
manent for  it  contains  within  itself  the  germs  of  dissolu- 
tion. So  long  as  man  is  bound  up  in  bodily  existence 
with  the  material  world,  he  is  liable  to  sorrow,  death  and 
decay.  So  long  as  he  allows  unholy  desires  to  reign  with- 
in him,  there  will  be  unsatisfied  longings,  useless  weariness 
and  care.  To  attempt  to  purify  himself  by  oppressing 
the  body  would  be  only  wasted  effort.  It  is  the  moral 
evil  of  a man’s  heart  which  keeps  him  chained  down  in 
the  degraded  state  of  bodily  life,  of  union  with  the  material 
world.  It  is  of  little  avail  to  add  virtue  to  his  badness,  for 


so  long  as  there  is  evil,  his  goodness  will  only  insure  him 
for  a time  and  in  another  birth  a'  higher  form  of  material 
life.  Only  the  complete  eradication  of  all  evil  will  set  him 
free  from  the  chains  of  existence.” 

The  foundations  of  his  creed  have  been  summed  up  in 
the  following,  which  are  called  the  Four  Great  Truths: 

1st.  That  misery  always  accompanies  existence. 

2d.  That  all  modes  of  existence  result  from  passion  or 
desire. 

3d.  That  there  is  no  escape  from  existence  except  by 
the  destruction  of  desire. 

4th.  That  this  may  be  accomplished  by  following  the 
fourfold  way  to  Nirvana. 

Of  these  four  stages  called  the  paths,  the  first  is  an 
awakening  of  the  heart.  When  this  is  followed  by  the 
removing  of  all  impure  desires  and  all  revengeful  feelings, 
he  has  reached  the  second  stage.  In  the  third  he  succes- 
sively becomes  free  from  all  desires,  from  all  ignorance, 
from  all  heresy  and  from  all  unkindliness. 

E.  De  Presscnse,  D.D.,  states  the  Buddhist  formula  and 
creed  as  follows.  The  four  noble  truths  are  : 

1st.  Suffering  or  sorrow.  Birth  causes  sorrow  ; growth, 
decay,  illness,  death,  all  cause  sorrow.  Separation  from 
objects  we  love,  hating  what  cannot  be  avoided  and  craving 
what  cannot  be  obtained,  cause  sorrow.  Such  states  of 
mind  as  co-exist  with  the  consciousness  of  individuality, 
with  the  sense  of  separate  existence,  are  states  of  suffering 
and  sorrow. 


3^ 

2d.  The  cause  of  suffering.  The  action  of  the  outward 
world  on  the  senses  excites  a craving  thirst  for  something 
to  satisfy  them ; or  a delight  in  the  objects  presenting 
themselves,  either  of  which  is  accompanied  by  the  lust  of 
life.  These  are  the  causes  of  sorrow. 

3d.  Cessation  of  sorrow.  The  complete  conquest  over, 
and  destruction  of  this  eager  thirst,  this  lust  of  life,  is  that 
by  which  sorrow  ceases. 

4th.  The  path  leading  to  the  cessation  of  sorrow  is  the 
noble  eight-fold  path  briefly  summed  up  in  the  description 
of  a virtuous  life.  At  the  head  of  the  way  of  deliverance 
stands  the  middle  path  with  its  eight  steps:  (1)  right  belief, 
(2)  right  feelings,  (3)  right  speech,  (4)  right  actions,  (5) 
right  means  of  livelihood,  (6)  right  endeavor,  (7) . right 
memory,  (8)  right  meditation,  by  which  man  enters  upon 
the  noble  path  of  deliverance  which  terminates  in  his  ex- 
emption from  all  delusion. 

He  reaches  this  end  by  slow  growth  in  passing  through 
four  stages  or  four  phases  of  the  spirit.  The  first  is  con- 
version ; the  second,  the  removal  of  doubts;  the  third, 
disbelief  in  the  efficacy  of  rites  and  ceremonies.  To  be 
the  recipient  of  these  threefold  blessings  is  considered  a 
higher  honor  than  the  conquest  of  a city.  The  second  is 
the  path  of  those  who  will  return  but  once  to  this  world. 
The  third  is  the  path  of  those  who  will  never  return  to 
this  world.  The  fourth  is  the  path  of  the  holy  and  worthy 
ones,  Arahats.  This,  the  superlative  state  of  life,  leads 
directly  to  Nirvana.  Gautama  had  passed  while  under 


the  Bo-tree  through  all  these  different  graded  states,  climb- 
ing as  it  were  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest  round  of  the 
ladder  of  human  experience.  Unaided  by  any  supernat- 
ural power  he  rises  by  the  force  of  self-reliance  and  aspir- 
ing efforts  to  that  excellence  of  semi-divine  perfection 
which  has  made  him  one  of  the  finest  and  purest  char- 
acters of  profane  or  religious  history. 

It  was  certainly  a glorious  consummation,  to  attain  to 
such  a high  elevation  of  human  thinking.  It  is  difficult 
for  us  to  understand  how  a man  without  the  aid  of  revela- 
tion could  evolve  such  pure  spiritual  thought ; and  how 
a man  like  Gautama,  so  pessimistic  over  the  sorrowful, 
degraded  state  of  the  world,  could  be  so  sympathetic  and 
charitable,  lenient  and  willing  to  sacrifice  himself  for  the 
betterment  of  man’s  condition.  It  is  certainly  true  that 
the  genius  of  his  heart  was  greater  than  the  genius  of  his 
head.  Legends  and  myths  are  as  unnecessary  and  useless 
in  ornamenting  the  brow  of  such  a philanthropist,  as  pearls 
are  to  ornament  the  perfectly  set  diamond.  We  are  in- 
formed that  the  moral  perfection  to  which  Gautama  at- 
tained was  due  partly  to  the  many  transmigrations  under- 
gone by  him.  It  is  said  he  was  born  eighty-three  times  an 
ascetic,  fifty-eight  times  a monarch,  forty-three  time  a 
demi-god,  twenty-four  a Brahman,  twenty-three  a scholar, 
eighteen  an  ape,  ten  times  a deer,  ten  a lion,  six  an  ele- 
phant, six  times  born  a snipe,  five  a colt,  four  a bull,  once  a 
tiger,  once  a thief,  once  a gambler,  and  once  a frog.  He 


could  not  be  born  below  a certain  point  of  degradation. 
It  was  impossible  to  transmigrate  through  hell,  through 
vermin,  or  to  be  born  a woman. 

If  the  Jattakes  are  true,  we  do  not  wonder  that  he  ex- 
celled, for  he  passed  through  great  tribulation  in  reaching 
Nirvana.  He  now  became  a man  of  marked  decision  of 
character  and  energetic  action.  The  world  was  open  to 
his  sight ; he  heard  the  cry  of  the  sorrowing,  and  felt  he 
must  enter  upon  his  mission  immediately.  He  desired  to 
deliver  the  new  gospel  of  self-help  and  triumph  to  his 
early  teachers,  Alara  and  Udraka,  but  they  had  ceased  to 
live.  Disappointed,  he  journeyed  on  to  the  deer  forest 
near  Benares,  where  he  found  those  disciples  who  had 
formerly  forsaken  him.  At  first  they  received  him  haugh- 
ti  y and  treated  him  coldly,  but  as  he  anticipated  their 
actions,  he  bided  his  time.  Finally,  by  his  persistent 
patience  and  superior  enlightenment,  lie  not  only  won  back 
their  friendship,  but  converted  them  over  to  the  new  faith. 
They  were  inspired  with  his  enthusiasm  and  spirit,  and 
became  like  Buddha,  itinerants,  proclaiming  the  doctrines 
of  Buddhism,  till  over  two  hundred  embraced  the  princi- 
ples of  Gautama.  The  most  ardent  and  capable  among 
them  was  a young  man  of  great  wealth  by  the  name 
of  Lasa,  who,  next  to  his  master,  was  the  most  efficient 
worker.  He  was  the  means  of  the  conversion  of  his 
family  and  relatives,  the  effect  of  which  was  to  give  great 
prestige  to  the  new  religion.  It  was  Gautama’s  custom  to 


39 


send  out  his  disciples  two  by  two  to  instruct  the  sorrow- 
ing in  the  way  of  the  middle  path,  by  which  they  could 
become  free  from  the  “ five  passions,  which  like  an  im- 
mense net,  held  men  and  angels  in  their  power.”  In  the 
beginning  of  each  rainy  season  they  again  collected  them- 
selves to  sit  at  the  feet  of  Gautama,  to  learn  more  of  this 
new  way  of  life,  the  highway  to  Nirvana.  Not  long  after, 
he  visited  King  Binibisara,  who  yielded  to  Gautama’s 
teachings  and  embraced  his  creed.  Finally,  Gautama 
entered  his  own  native  city  as  a mendicant.  His  Father 
Suddhodana  received  from  his  son  the  bowl  and  was  con- 
verted. Then  his  wife,  whom  he  had  left  long  years  be- 
fore, with  their  first-born  son  nestling  in  her  bosom,  at 
their  first  meeting  accepted  his  teachings,  and  against 
Gautama’s  will  urged  him  to  erect  an  edifice  similar  to  the 
modern  nunnery,  of  which  she  became  the  first  nun. 

Though  he  met  with  opposition,  and  though  he  endured 
much  adversity,  still  his  course  in  life  during  the  forty-five 
years  in  which  he  preached  his  gospel  of  self  help,  seemed 
to  be  one  grand  triumphal  march  to  almost  universal 
victory.  Besides  his  charming  doctrines,  there  were  per- 
sonal properties  that  endeared  him  to  the  people  and  aided 
him  in  his  successful  campaign.  He  was  a man  of  com- 
manding presence,  possessing  a deep,  rich  voice.  He  was 
convinced  of  the  truth  of  his  doctrines,  and  had  the  cour- 
age of  his  convictions,  and  earnestly  and  affectionately 
sought  the  conversion  of  the  common  people.  Gautama 


40 


died  at  the  age  of  eighty-one,  an  ordinary  human  death. 
The  following  account  of  his  death  is  tolerably  clear  and 
trustworthy.  In  a grove  at  Parva,  between  Kusingara  and 
Kapilavastu,  Benares,  Gautama  died.  He  had  eaten  some 
indigestible  food,  which  hastened  his  death.  His  conver- 
sation during  his  last  lingering  hours  suggests  to  us  the 
philosophical  thoughts  of  Socrates,  and  also  reminding  us, 
too,  of  the  last  words  of  Jesus  Christ  to  His  disciples  on 
the  nature  and  necessity  of  the  possession  and  practice  of 
love  and  charity. 

Gautama  dies,  not  like  a god,  but  like  a man,  who  is 
conscious  that  he  has  done  what  he  could  in  the  ennobling 
of  his  character,  through  his  active  sympathy  for  his 
fellow-man,  in  fitting  himself  for  this  supreme  moment  of 
his  life.  Death  became  the  stepping-stone  into  Nirvana, 
the  goal  of  his  existence  and  continued  struggle. 


Buddhism  and  (^ristianity. 


'"O  better  modern  authority  can  be  cited  as  to  the 
origin  of  Buddhism  than  Dr.  F.  F.  Ellimvood,  who 
states  that  about  5 1 1,  B.  C.,  there  arose  a general 
protest  of  various  philosophical  or  rationalistic  schools, 
against  the  priestly  tyranny  of  Brahmanism,  over  the  in- 
tellectual and  moral  life  of  the  nation-  Buddhism  was 


4> 


found  among  these  systems.  It  placed  against  the  Brah- 
minical  caste  .distinctions,  the  doctrine  of  the  equality  of 
all  men.  It  placed  against  the  doctrine  of  animal  sacrifice, 
which  had  been  so  rife  in  India,  over  which  the  priests  had 
gone  mad,  slaying  thousands  of  animals  daily,  the  thought 
that  the  penalty  of  sin  could  not  be  transferred  to  another. 
The  actor  must  suffer  or  enjoy  the  consequences  flowing 
from  his  every  action.  There  was  no  such  thing  as  vicari- 
ous suffering.  There  was  no  place  for  prayer  in  Bud- 
dhism. Self-mortification  and  abstract  meditation  led  to 
Nirvana.  The  Buddhist  ignored  the  existence  of  the  soul- 
spirit  as  separate  from  the  material  organism,  hence  there 
was  no  such  thing  as  a supreme  spirit.  The  gods  were 
merely  orders  of  beings. 

The  smnmuvi  bonum  of  Buddhism  is  the  suppression  of 
all  action  in  order  to  avoid  the  consequences  of  actions 
which  cause  sorrow.  A state  of  absolute  quietude  to  a 
large  extent  is  the  Nirvana  of  the  Buddhist.  The  destruc- 
tion of  sorrow  through  asceticism  and  not  by  priestly 
tyranny  and  servile  obedience,  met  the  condition  and 
demand  of  the  age.  It  was  a timely  protest  and  reforma- 
tion, and  for  that  reason  became  exceedingly  popular  with 
the  common  people  of  India.  There  were  many  valuable 
and  somewhat  practical  precepts,  prohibitions  and  doc- 
trines for  the  daily  conduct. 

Sorrow,  the  common  heritage  of  all,  the  galling  yoke 
and  burden  of  life,  was  to  be  destroyed  by  the  eight 


42 


methods,  right  perception,  thinking,  words,  acts,  regimen, 
study,  memory  and  meditation.  Murder,  theft,  lying,  adul- 
tery and  drunkenness  were  strictly  prohibited.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  Sangha  were  not  to  offend  in  diet,  not  to  in- 
dulge in  amusements,  not  to  wear  ornaments  or  use  per- 
fumes, not  to  sleep  on  soft,- luxurious  beds,  and  not  to 
amass  silver  or  gold.  Whatever  anti-Christian  apologists 
of  the  West  may  say  as  to  the  origin  and  unique  intrinsic 
merits  of  this  so-called  decalogue,  scholarly  men  have  con- 
clusively shown  that  they  bear  no  comparison  to  the  divine 
excellence  of  the  ten  commandments.  They  possess  no 
spirituality ; they  recognize  no  Deity,  or  future  relation  of 
man  to  his  Creator.  They  give  out  as  little  heat  as  do  the 
cold  stars  on  a winter  night.  Whatever  light  they  have 
is  as  the  dim  reflection  of  the  distant  rays  of  a sun  that 
has  sunk  far  below  the  horizon.  The  exceeding  darkness 
of  the  age  gives  their  pale  glow  a strange  brilliancy.  As 
the  drowning  man  will  grasp  and  endeavor  to  cling  to 
the  slightest  thing,  which  he  imagines  will  keep  him  from 
sinking  so  did  these  Hindus  cleave  to  these  maxims  which 
in  their  time  were  the  very  best  that  were  available,  and 
from  a human  point  of  view  were  meritorious  and  en- 
nobling. 

The  doctrines  of  Buddhism  spread  rapidly  over  India 
and  the  adjacent  isles,  until  hundreds  of  thousands  pro- 
fessed themselves  followers  of  Buddha.  The  Brahmans  in- 
stead of  persevering  in  their  antagonism,  true  to  their  cun- 


43 


ning  character,  created  a fusion  by  which,  to  all  appearance, 
Buddhism,  which  was  a protest  against  Brahmanism,  be- 
came identified  with  it,  and  from  that  time  the  history  of 
the  one  is  largely  the  history  of  the  other.  It  is  mar- 
vellous how  the  doctrines  of  this  dualistic  Buddhism  have 
been  promulgated  in  the  Eastern  and  even  in  the  Western 
world.  Not  only  can  Buddhists  be  found  in  the  entire 
Orient,  but  in  most,  if  not  all,  the  great  cities  of  the 
west  may  be  found  large  circles  of  people  who  claim  to 
be  Buddhists. 

Through  all  its  changes  and  stages  Buddhism  has  over- 
looked the  existence  of  God ; has  ignored  the  efficacy 
of  prayer,  denied  the  reality  of  disembodied  spirits  and 
shows  no  conception  of  the  character  and  demerit  of  sin. 
Therefore  there  is  no  room  in  their  system  for  a Saviour. 
The  trend  is  toward  fatalism  and  pessimism.  Buddhism  is 
not  the  twilight  of  the  morning  leading  to  the  greater  light 
of  day,  but  it  is  as  the  evening  twilight  which  deepens  into 
darkness. 

The  Nirvana  of  Buddhism  has  never  been  satisfactorily 
defined.  Each  school  of  philosophy  and  each  nation  of 
Buddhists  hold  to  some  idea  or  doctrine,  which  is  not 
only  unlike  the  tenets  held  by  all  the  other  followers,  but 
directly  in  antagonism.  Translators  differ  in  their  con- 
clusions as  to  what  is  meant  by  Nirvana.  Buddha  him- 
self, being  an  atheist  and  much  of  a fatalist,  could  not  have 
considered  Nirvana  as  a place  where  the  immortal  good 


44 


dwell  in  conscious  peace.  Then  again  the  people  who 
became  Buddhists  always  held  to  the  ideas  taught  in  the 
systems  of  religious  truths  regarding  monotheism,  im- 
mortality and  the  efficacy  of  prayer,  as  found  in  the  differ- 
ent provinces  and  nations.  Apparently  there  was  no  doc- 
trine common  to  all  Buddhists. 

The  term  Nirvana  means  “ to  blowout.”  If  we  follow 
this  etymology,  everything  which  produces  existence  or 
sensation  would  be  destroyed.  In  Nirvana  there  is  no 
wish  either  to  live  or  to  die,  as  all  desire  is  extinguished. 
It  is  not  absorbtion  but  cessation  of  being.  If  we  follow 
the  metaphysics  of  the  earliest  scholarly  Buddhists,  includ- 
ing Gautama,  Nirvana  is  a place  or  state  of  such  absolute 
passiveness,  repose  and  unconsciousness  as  could  only 
be  produced  by  annihilation. 

If  we  follow  the  beliefs  of  the  different  people,  it  is  a 
sort  of  semi-heaven,  originating  in  the  native  longing  of 
the  human  soul  after  some  better  condition  beyond  the 
grave  than  that  endured  here.  It  is  surprising  with  what 
rapidity  this  system  spread.  We  are  astonished  to  learn 
that  Buddhism  was  the  first  missionary  religion  known  in 
history.  All  others  excluded  the  missionary  idea.  Says 
Muller:  “ No  Jew,  no  Greek,  no  Roman,  no  Brahman,  ever 
thought  of  converting  people  to  his  own  national  form  of 
worship.  Religion  was  looked  upon  as  a private  and 
national  property.  It  was  to  be  guarded  against  strangers. 
The  most  sacred  names  of  the  gods,  the  prayers  by  which 


45 


their  favors  could  be  gained,  were  kept  secret.  Not  even 
the  lowest  caste  Brahmans,  the  Sudras,  would  open  their 
ranks  to  a stranger.  Buddha  addressed  both  caste  and 
outcaste ; he  promised  salvation  to  all.  The  doctrine  of 
the  brotherhood  of  humanity  was  first  pronounced  in  India 
by  this  Raja.  In  the  year  308,  Ik  C,  missionaries  were 
sent  to  the  chief  countries  beyond  India. 

The  spirit  of  humanity  and  toleration  exhibited  by  King 
Asoka  years  before  the  Christian  era  is  not  only  worthy 
of  mention  but  also  of  emulation.  He  said,  "A  man  ought 
to  honor  his  own  faith  only,  but  he  should  never  abuse  the 
faith  of  others.  It  is  thus  that  he  will  do  no  harm  to 
anyone.  There  are  even  circumstances  where  the  religion 
of  others  ought  to  be  honored,  and  in  acting  thus  a man 
fortifies  his  own  faith  and  assists  the  faith  of  others.  He 
who  acts  otherwise  diminishes  his  own  faith  and  hurts  the 
faith  of  others.”  How  admirable  are  such  noble  senti- 
ments, uttered  over  two  thousand  years  ago  by  a heathen 
king.  Mrs.  Speir,  in  her  work,  “ Life  in  Ancient  India,” 
states  : “ Buddhism  spread  in  the  south  to  Ceylon,  in  the 
north  to  Kashmir,  the  Himalayan  countries,  Thibet  and 
China.  One  Buddhist  missionary  is  mentioned  in  the 
Chinese  annals  as  early  as  the  year  217  B.  C.” 

Buddhism,  in  A.  D.  66,  was  officially  recognized  by 
Ming-ti  as  a state  religion,  and  placed  on  an  equal  footing 
with  the  religion  of  Confucius  and  Lao-tse.  This  mission- 
ary spirit  doubtless  hastened  the  spread  of  Buddhism,  and 


46 


also  accounts  for  its  wonderful  success  and  permanence. 
This  faith  has  over  four  hundred  millions  of  converts, 
while  Protestant  Christianity,  including  all  who  hold  a 
nominal  relation  to  the  church,  claims  less  than  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  millions.  This  numerical  increase  of  Bud- 
dhism over  Christianity  is  the  more  remarkable  when  we 
take  into  account  that  its  author  was  merely  a human 
being,  while  the  author  of  Christianity  is  divine.  We 
devoutly  believe  that  in  the  not  far-distant  future  the  fig- 
ures and  the  material  strength  of  each  of  these  will  be 
more  than  merely  reversed.  As  these  two  systems  are 
progressive  and  aggressive  and  as  Christianity  is  now  being 
pushed  into  the  domains  and  strongholds  of  Buddhism, 
the  day  will  surely  come  when  both  will  meet  as  do  oppos- 
ing fires  in  a burning  forest.  Which  will  consume  and  sur- 
vive the  other,  from  our  enthusiastic  point  of  view,  is  easy 
to  predict,  and  yet  the  followers  of  Gautama  are  just  as 
sanguine  of  success  as  are  the  disciples  of  Christ.  Their 
hopefulness  is  pardonable  and  well  founded,  since  during 
the  long  past  they  have  so  triumphantly  withstood  all  the 
advances  of  Christian  missions  and  the  progress  of  Chris- 
tian and  modern  civilization.  But  as  in  the  fullness  of  time 
Gautama  reached  out  after  something  superior  to  Brah- 
manism to  satisfy  his  unsatisfied  moral  nature,  so  in  the 
progress  of  events  when  a greater  fullness  of  time  shall 
come,  these  noble  but  benighted  minds,  through  a con- 
sciousness of  the  insufficiency  of  their  religion,  will  long 


47 


for  something  higher.  Then  will  they  accept  the  Christ. 
Since  the  Aryan  mind  is  monotheistic  by  nature,  there  must 
be  a re-action  against  Buddhism  and  a favoring  of  a belief 
in  one  supreme  being. 

It  is  the  duty  of  the  church  to  advance,  to  contribute,  to 
preach,  to  work  and  then  to  wait  for  that  notable  day  to 
come  when  the  Lord  shall  gather  his  ransomed  into  his 
fold.  It  needs  no  miracle  to  bring  to  pass  such  a reforma- 
tion. For  who  can  read  the  history  of  the  life  of  Buddha, 
the  rise,  success  and  wide  spread  of  his  religion,  without 
feeling  that  if  the  church  and  the  times  will  furnish  a man 
equal  to  him  in  intellect,  purity  of  heart,  aspiration  of  soul, 
with  equal  sincerity  and  sympathy,  who  receives  not  en- 
lightenment under  the  fig  tree  but  by  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  that  such  a man  would  more  than  meet  the 
emergency  of  the  hour  by  transforming,  through  conver- 
sion, the  creed  of  the  Buddhist  into  a saving  belief  in  the 
Gospel  of  the  New  Testament.  Why  this  man  of  destiny 
has  not  as  yet  come  forth  is  difficult  to  answer.  The  delay 
can  hardly  be  providential,  since  nozo  is  God's  accepted 
time  and  day  of  salvation.  He  is  willing  nozv  to  give  the 
kingdom  to  his  little  flock.  What  the  church  and  times 
need  is  a great  heroic  spirit  like  a Hannibal  who  considers 
no  Alpine  difficulty  insurmountable;  one  who  can  smile 
at  impossibilities  and  cry,  it  shall  be  done ; one  who,  like 
Joshua,  filled  to  overflowing  with  the  zeal  of  optimism, 
will  take  possession  of  the  enemy’s  country. 


Too  many  ministers  and  members  of  the  Christian 
church  who  hear  of  the  success  and  progress  of  missions 
in  distant  lands  are  like  the  ten  spies  who  came  laden 
down  with  the  fruit  of  Eshcol,  but  v'ith  hearts  barren  of 
faith  in  God  and  hope  for  the  future.  All  such  retard 
the  day  of  glorious  consummation  when  the  kingdoms 
of  this  world  shall  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  God. 
We  cannot  help  perceiving  through  these  Oriental  leaders 
of  religious  thought,  that  God  has  never  forsaken  these 
so-called  heathen,  and  it  is  evident  that  He  has  never  en- 
tirely withdrawn  His  spirit  from  them.  The  Heavenly 
Father  is  moving  upon  the  hearts  of  his  children  to  go 
and  seek  these  prodigal  races. 

May  the  day  soon  come  when  these  Buddhists  shall 
know  for  a surety  that  there  is  a God,  that  there  is  efficacy 
in  prayer,  that  disembodied  spirits  exist  beyond  this  world 
of  death,  that  the  penalty  of  sin  can  be  transferred,  the 
consciousness  of  guilt  removed,  and  that  the  Son  of  God 
sacrificed  Himself  once  for  all,  to  redeem  all  who  call 
by  faith  upon  His  name.  Then,  when  this  is  realized,  will 
the  brightest  and  greatest  light  that  has  ever  shone  upon 
India  brighten  the  valleys,  plains  and  mountains  of  this 
pre-historic  country. 


